Samantha is a 17-year-old Double Yellow Head parrot that Anderson cares for at her Lakeside home.

Have you fallen under the spell of a charming parrot at your local pet shop? Are you flirting with bringing that bird home, despite lacking knowledge about bird care and behavior?

Before yielding to impulse, pause and learn from knowledgeable bird handlers at the Parrot Education and Adoption Center what is required in caring for these social yet challenging creatures.

Too many people buy parrots — the term encompasses more than 300 species — without understanding the specialized care, diet and attention they need or the complexity of their emotional and behavioral issues. Many wind up in the custody of the County of San Diego’s Department of Animal Services, whose director, Dawn Danielson, knows to call PEAC for help.

“I don’t know what we would do without them,” she said. “When the birds become our property, we (release) them to PEAC because they are better equipped to find them appropriate homes.”

Many parrots spend months and years in foster care, looking for the right home, or end up in sanctuaries.

“They’re wonderful companions, but they’re not for everyone. If you dislike cleaning, they’re not for you. They need environmental enrichment, not just toys. You can’t just stick a bird in a cage and be done with it. Too many birds live like this because people don’t know any better,” said Barbara Crouse, PEAC volunteer executive director and caretaker to two 30-something rescue Amazon parrots adopted through PEAC.

Most adopters don’t understand the lifetime commitment involved in having parrots, she explained, or the level of parrots’ intelligence, considered comparable to a toddler’s.

Larger parrots can live 60 to 80 years or longer and smaller breeds about 30 years.

“The sad fact for a companion parrot is the average time in a home is five to eight years. They’re going to have multiple homes. They grieve when their home is disrupted,” Crouse added.